They are permanent residents in the southern parts of their range; northern birds migrate to the southern United States and Mexico in winter, returning to their summer habitat around March or April.

The Brown-headed Cowbird can be distinguished from other North American blackbirds – with which it often consorts in mixed flocks – primarily by its bill and the head coloration of the adult male. The other cowbird species have fewer known hosts, but all the species are generalists when it comes to choosing a host. The Brown-headed cowbird is widespread and does not face any major threats at present; however, it has some predators, such as hawks, owls, raccoons, squirrels and snakes. Similar looking birds to Brown-headed Cowbird: Red-winged Blackbird Female (Red-winged), Brewer's Blackbird Adult male, Brewer's Blackbird Female, Common Grackle Adult male, Bronzed Cowbird Adult male, Bronzed Cowbird Female, Shiny Cowbird Male, Shiny Cowbird Female . They are permanent residents in the southern parts of their range; northern birds migrate to the southern United States and Mexico in winter, returning to their summer habitat around March or April. Their tails are also comparatively shorter than most of their relatives. These they lay in the nests of other birds, abandoning their young to foster parents, usually at the expense of at least some of the host’s own chicks. Population number. Males have iridescent black bodies with brown heads; females are much duller, with a brownish-grey overall According to the What Bird resource, the total population size of the Brown-headed cowbird is around 56 million individual birds. Females forgo building nests and instead put all their energy into producing eggs, sometimes more than three dozen a summer. Brown-headed cowbird eggs are white with brown spots, and they can be very easy to spot in a host bird's nest. Cute Birdorable Brown-headed Cowbird, also known as Cow-pen Bird or Cow Blackbird, in Icterids. Young Brown-headed Cowbird (left) being fed by a male Common Yellowthroat, a type of warbler. The Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater) is a stocky blackbird with a fascinating approach to raising its young. To ensure they are successful in getting offspring to the next generation, cowbirds employ a number of strategies. The Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater) is a small brood parasitic icterid of temperate to subtropical North America. The genus was introduced by the English naturalist William John Swainson in 1832 with the brown-headed cowbird (Molothrus ater) as the type species. Females forgo building nests and instead put all their energy into producing eggs, sometimes more than three dozen a summer. Female cowbirds are egg-laying machines, laying as many as three dozen eggs in a summer! Other reasons for its populations decline are unknown. Brown-headed cowbird, one call. This means that the eggs may look very different from the hosts' eggs. The cowbird is like the psychopathic thief who breaks into your house, then kidnaps and murders your children. Brown-headed Cowbirds are small dark birds, related to orioles, grackles and blackbirds. The brown-headed cowbird (Molothrus ater) is a small obligate brood parasitic icterid of temperate native to subtropical North America. As a group, they use more than 220 different species as host birds.
[1] [2] The genus name combines the Ancient Greek mōlos meaning "struggle" or "battle" with thrōskō meaning "to sire" or "to impregnate". Compared with other blackbirds, cowbirds have short and stout beaks. They are permanent residents in the southern parts of their range; northern birds migrate to the southern United States and Mexico in winter, returning to their summer habitat around March or April. Brown-headed Cowbird; Adult male: Conservation status; Least Concern () The Brown-headed Cowbird has over 220 hosts.

Photo Agathman, via Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. The brown-headed cowbird lays its eggs in the cardinal's nest (and in the nests of other species, too, such as the yellow warbler).

The Brown-headed Cowbird is a stocky blackbird with a fascinating approach to raising its young. Brown-headed Cowbird: translation. This harms the cardinal's chances to reproduce. The Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater ) is a small obligate brood parasitic icterid of temperate native to subtropical North America. Mafia-type behaviour. While the brown-headed cowbird is native to North America, it is a much worse villain than the European starling—an invasive species that has expanded like wildfire in the US since it was introduced in the late 1800s—ever thought about being.